


coffee beans and tea leaves

by the_problem_with_stardust



Series: Laura Hale Appreciation [5]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Blind Date, College Student Stiles, Grad Student Laura, Multi, POV Laura, POV Laura Hale, Roommates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-08 15:59:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12257571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_problem_with_stardust/pseuds/the_problem_with_stardust
Summary: “No.” Laura is barely through the door and she already knows the rest of her day is ruined.Stiles turns from where he is standing at the stove, cooking something that smells delicious. Which can only mean one thing.She drops her bag to the floor. “I am not getting sexiled from my own home.”Written for Laura Hale Appreciation Week Day 5: Lovable Laura





	coffee beans and tea leaves

“No.” Laura is barely through the door and she already knows the rest of her day is ruined.

Stiles turns from where he is standing at the stove, cooking something that smells delicious. Which can only mean one thing.

She drops her bag to the floor. “I am not getting sexiled from my own home.”

“Come on, Lo. It’s our anniversary and Derek’s coming all the way from California.” Stiles has the prettiest puppy eyes. It’s vexing. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”

Laura groans. She has grants to write and papers to review. “Why can’t you two go get a hotel or something?”

Stiles stiffens a bit and she winces. The kind of hotel an undergrad can afford in New York is not the type of place you would want to spend your anniversary at.

She takes in his hunched shoulders and guilty expression for all of two seconds before she caves. “Fine. I can be somewhere else.”

“Thank you so much, Laura. I owe you.”

The sincerity in his voice makes her smile fondly. “Do you need a ride to the airport?”

“Hmm?” Stiles looks up from the sauce he’s stirring. Whatever it is better have leftovers because it smells heavenly.

“My brother? Is he at the airport?”

“Oh.” Stiles frowns, like he’s just remembering the logistics. “No, he went to the store to get more tomatoes.”

Laura spots the duffle poking out from the screened off area that makes up Stiles’ bedroom. “Well, tell him I said hello.”

She rummages through the cabinet that doubles as their pantry, pulling out a couple of protein bars and an unpopped bag of popcorn. It won’t be the first night she spends in her office, but it really isn’t something she likes to make a habit off.

“Wait!” Stiles drops the spoon in his hand, sauce splattering across the stovetop. “I found you a study buddy.”

“What?” Laura checks to make sure she has everything in her bag. Charger, laptop, USB, backup USB, her wallet…

“My friend, Lydia? She’s in New York for an internship. I told her to meet you at Henry’s around six.”

“It’s six forty-five, Stiles.” Laura sighs.

He whips his head toward the Batman clock above the door. “Huh. Time does fly.”

“Is this a blind date?”

Stiles shrugs. “I mean, it probably could be? Lyds is single right now, but mostly I wanted her to have some friends in the city.”

“I am too old for this.” Hopefully this Lydia person will understand that a third year grad student doesn’t have time for dating.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t keep her waiting any longer.”

Laura grumbles under her breath as she thunders down the stairs. She loves Stiles like a brother, but the fact that he is dating her brother means that every couple of months she has to find other accommodations. Luckily, no one bats an eye at a graduate student wandering the halls at two in the morning.

She runs into Derek in the lobby. He has a canvas grocery bag gripped in one hand and a small box in the other. Laura freezes. “Der?”

He jumps, shoving the box back into his pocket. “Hey, Laura.” It’s obvious he’s trying for a casual tone and missing by a mile.

She lets a smile spread across her face. “Congratulations, baby brother.”

Derek flushes to the tips of his ears. “He still has to say yes,” he mumbles.

Laura rolls her eyes. “That boy is gone on you. I expect to hear wedding plans tomorrow at lunch.”

Derek takes a deep breath, like he’s bracing himself. Laura tugs him in for a hug, careful not to squish his groceries.

“It’s going to be fine.”

He nods into her shoulder before letting her go. “I should get going.”

She watches him run up the first flight of stairs, taking them two steps at a time, and then turns toward the doors. Off to meet Lydia.

\---

Henry’s is a relatively quiet place on a Friday night. Laura scans the room, looking for someone who might be waiting. Her eyes catch on a beautiful woman with long, strawberry blonde hair. She is sitting at one of the corner booths and the table top is absolutely covered in sheets of loose leaf paper.

Laura can’t help but hope this is who she’s looking for. Shrugging her bag further up her shoulder, she approaches the table.

“Excuse me, but are you waiting for someone?”

The woman looks up from some sort of complicated math problem and Laura feels her breath catch in her chest. She could probably drown in those gorgeous hazel eyes.

“You must be Laura Hale.” Lydia stands up, straightening out her skirt. She shakes Laura’s hand then gestures at the opposite side of the booth. “Stiles has told me so much about you.”

Laura slides into the seat across from Lydia and pulls out her laptop. “So it looks like we’re study buddies for the night?”

Lydia smirks. “Something like that.” She runs her eyes over Laura’s face, then drops them to the battered physical chemistry book sitting next to her laptop. Laura can’t help but feel like she’s passed some sort of test. “Or it could be a date.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to a study date.” Laura pulls out her multicolored highlighters and another cube of stick notes.

She looks up to find Lydia still watching her. “What?”

“You seem distracted.”

After living with a psychology minor for so long, Laura has learned to just roll with people trying to read her. Although Stiles would have been on her in a second. “Derek is going to propose.”

Lydia throws back her head and laughs, copper hair cascading over her shoulders. “No way.” Laura blinks, feeling dazed, but Lydia just shakes her head. “Stiles is going to propose too.”

For some reason, the news makes Laura grin like an idiot. They really are perfect for each other.

Lydia smiles over the top of her laptop. “Well. If we’re going to spend the night together, at least let me buy you a drink.”

Laura nods. “I’ll get the next one.”

It doesn’t take long before there is a steaming mug of coffee sitting alongside her notes. Laura breathes in the aroma and settles back in her chair, watching Lydia flip her long hair over her shoulder so she can cross out some formula in her book. Maybe letting Stiles set her up wasn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Out of curiosity, would anyone be interested in a third part to this series?
> 
> Come say hello on [tumblr!](https://theproblemwithstardust.tumblr.com)


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